1771* ROUND THE WORLD. 349 



peopling those countries, which cannot easily be re- 

 ferred to Madagascar. The inhabitants of Java and 

 Madagascar appear to be a different race ; the Ja- 

 vanese is of an olive complexion, and has long hair ; 

 the native of Madagascar is black, and his head is 

 not covered with hair, but wool ; and yet perhaps 

 this will not conclude against their having common 

 ancestors so strongly as at first appears. It does not 

 seem less difficult to account for the personal differ- 

 ence between a native of England and France, as an 

 effect of mere local situation, than for the difference 

 between the natives of Java and Madagascar ; yet it 

 has never been supposed, that England and France 

 were not peopled from common ancestors. If two 

 natives of England marry in their own country, and 

 afterwards remove to our settlements in the West 

 Indies, the children that are conceived and born 

 there will have the complexion and cast of coun- 

 tenance that distinguish the Creole ; if they return, 

 the children conceived and born afterwards, will 

 have no such characteristics. If it be said that the 

 mother's mind being impressed with different external 

 objects, impresses corresponding features and com- 

 plexion upon the child during her pregnancy, it will 

 be as difficult to refer the effect into this cause, upon 

 mere physical principles, as into the other ; for it can 

 no more be shown how a mere idea, conceived in the 

 mother's imagination, can change the corporeal form 

 of her infant, than how its form can be changed by 

 mere local situation. We know that people within 

 the small circle of Great Britain and Ireland, who 

 are born at the distance of two or three hundred miles 

 from each other, will be distinguished by the Scotch 

 face, the Welsh face, and the Irish face ; may we not 

 then reasonably suppose, that there are in nature qua- 

 lities which act powerfully as efficient causes, and yet 

 are not cognizable by any of the five modes of per- 

 ception which we call senses? A deaf man, who sees 

 the string of a harpsichord vibrate, when a corres- 



